Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1887-12-16

should only be done as a temporary eIpedi-
ent TO meet an urgent necessity. Legisla-
tive and executive effort should generally be
IN the opposite direction and should have
| tendency to divorce, as much and as fast as
can safely be done, the treasury depart
rnent from private enterprise. OF course 1t
ID not expected tbpt unnecessary and eL-
travagant appropriations will be made for
the purpose Of avoiding tue accumulation of
an excess Of revenue. Such expenditure be-
side the Generalization Of all Just concep-
lions of public duty which it entails, stimu-
lates habit OF reckless imprOvidencs not
/ IN the least consistent with the mission of
/ our people or the high and benehcient ideas
I or our government.
THE GRAVITY or THE SITUATION.
I have deemedit my duty to thus bring to
! the knowledge of my countrymen as well as
/ the attention Of their Representatives charged
| with the responsibility Of legislative relief,
| the gravity of our iuBnCial situation. The
I failure OF congress heretofore to provide
against the dangers which it was quite evil
/ dent tho very nature of the difficulty must
necessarily porducs5 caused a condition Of
l financial distress and apprehension since
your last adjournment which taxed TO the
] utmost ali the authority and szpendients
Y within executive control, and these appear
now to be exhausted. If disaster results
l from the continued inactiOn of congress the
! responsibility must rest where it belongs.
Through the situation thus far considered
/ is trHught with danger which should be fully
| realized, and though it presents features of
| wrong to the people as well as peril to the
country, IL is but result growing out of a
l perfect and apparent cause constantly re-
| producing the same alarming circumstances
/ IA cOngested national treasury and depleted
| monetary condition IN the business OF The
country. 1t need hardly be stated that while
| the present situation demands a remedy, we
| can only he saved from a like Predicameut
/ IL the future by the removal Of its cause.
I Our scheme Of taxation, by means of which
/ this needless surplus Is taken from the peO-
/ pie and put into the public treasury, consists
| Of a tariff or duty levied upon impOrtations
| from abroad and internal revenue taxation
| which are, strictly speaking necessariesl
there appears 20 be no Just cause
( for complaint Of this taxation by
l the consumers of these articles,
| and there seems to be nothing 80 we'll able
] to bear the burden without hardship TO any
/ portion Of the people. But our present tar
I III laws, the vicious, 1nequitabl5 and ilOgi-
I cal source OF unnecessary taxation ought to
| be at once revised and amended. These
| laws as their primary and plain effort, raise
/ the price to consumers of all articles i'm
/ ported and subject to duty by precisely the
sum paid for such duties. Thus the amount
/ of the duty measures the tax paid by those
| who purchase fO- use these imported arti-
/ Giles. Many of these things, however, are
/ raised or manufactured IN our own country
| and duties levied upon foreign goods and
] products are called protection 70 these home
manufactures, because they render It posi-
| slble for those OF our people who are manu-
l facturers to make these taxed articles and
/ sell them for price equal to that demanded
I for the imported goods that have paid duty.
I So it happens that where comparatively a
/ few use the imported articles, millions of
| our people who never use and never saw any
I of the foreign products purchase and use
. things OF the same kind made IN this cOuu-
try and pay therefor nearly or quite the
l same enhanced price which the duty adds to
| the imported articles. Those who buy i'm
| ports pay the duty charged thereon into the
/ public treasury but the great majority
I of our citizens who buy domestic articles of
/ the same class pay sum at least approx
mately equal to this duty to the prime man
ufEcturer. This reference to the operation
| of our tariff laws Is not made by way of in
I structiOn, but in order that We may be con
stautly reminded Of the manner in which
| they impose burden upon those who con
/ sumo domestic products, as well al those
] v no consume imported articles, and thus
create a tax upon all our people. 1t is not
/ proposed to entirely relieve the country of
I this taxation. 1t must be extensively con
] tinued as the source Of the governments in
come, and in a readjustment of our tariff
/ the interests Of American labor engaged in
manufacture should be carefully considered
I as We'll as the preservation OF our manutaC
| turers. It may be called protection, OF by
any other name, but relief from the had
/ ships and dangers of our present tariff laws
| should be devised with special precautiOu
/ against imperiliug the existence or our
/ manufacturing interests.
THELABOR QUESTION.
But this existence should not mean a con-
/ dition which, without regard to the public
| welfare or national eZigency must always in
/ sure the realization of immense profits in
| stead of moderately profitable returns. As
/ the volume and diversity Of our national
/ activities increase new recruits are added to
| those who desire continuance of the advan-
/ tages which they conceive the present sys-
| tenn of tariff taxation directly affects them
| So stubbOrnly have all efforts to reduce the
! present condition been resisted by those Of
] our f5llOW-citlZens thus engaged, that they
] hardly rtf the
/ tanned to a certain extent that there existed
an organized combination all along the line
/ TO maintain their advantage. We are in the
midst OF centennial celebrations, and with
/ becoming pride We rejoice in American skill
| and ingenuity, in American energy and en-
| terprise, and in the wonderful natural adVan-
/ tages and resources developed by a century
| national growth yet when an attempt is
/ made to justify a scheme which permits a
I tax to be laid upon ever consumer in the
| land for the benefit Of our manufacturer,
quite beyond a reasonable demand for gov
I ernmental regard, il suits the purposes OF
| advocacy to call our manufactures infant IN
dustries, still needing the highest and great
] est degree Of favor and fostering care that
[ can be Wrung from federal legislation.
1t is also said that the IN crease IN the price OF
/ domestic manufactures resulting from the
present tariff Is necessary IN order that
| higher wages may be paid to our working
men, employed IN manufactures than are
t paid for what IS called the paup6E labor OF
Europe. All viii acknowledge the force OF
| an argument which involves the welfare and
liberal compensation Of our labor IS hOnOra-
l bic in the eyes Of every American citizen
and as It lies at the foundation OF our deYeI-
Opmeut and progress 1t Is entitled, without
any affectation and hypocrisy, to the utmost
| regard. The standard OF our labOrer'5 lives
should not be measured by that of any other
| country less favored, and they are entitled
/ to their full share of all our advantages. BY
/ The last census 1t is made TO appear OF the
| II, 5J2, O5S OF our population engaged IN all
I kinds OF industries 1910, 4S3 are employed
/ IN agriculture, 500, 23S IN professional and
| personal service, q, 934, 876 of whom are do
| nestle servants and Iaborers,) while ], 81Os-
I 256 are employed In trade and Transports
l ton, and 3, S;3l, il2 are classed as employed
I in manufacturing and mining. For present
| purposes, however, the last number given
should be considerably reduced, Without
/ attempting to enumsrats all it viii be con
! ceded that there should be deducted from
! these, which includes 375s 143 carpenters and
/ Iolners5 80 4Ol mllilners, dressmakers and
! sedmstressess ~ 10 blacEsm1th8, l53, ll6
| tallors and tailOresses, 1O2, 473 masons, &c.
| 24l butchers, Al ,3G5 bakers, y OS3 plasterers
| and 4, 81 engaged IN manufacturing agrL
I cultural implements, amounting in the ag-
Eregate to ,2A4t 023 leaving 2 o., O55 persons
| employed IN such manufacturing industries
| as are claimed to be benefited by high tar
| IN. To these the appeal IS made to save their
| employment and maintain their wages by 70
| sistlnga change. There should be no dlspOs-
/ ton to answer such suggestions by the ale
cation that they are in a minority among
those who labor, and therefore, should fore
l go an advantage In the interest OF low prices
I Tor the majOrityi their compensation as 1t
may be affected by the operation Of tariff
/ laws,shOuld at all times be scrupulnusly kept
I IN view; and yet with slight reflection they
\ VIII not overlook the TACT that they are con
sumers with the rest. They too, have their
/ Own wants and those OF their families 10
! supply from their earnings, and that the
prices OF the necessities Of life as well as